


A World Away

by TheLadyStrange



Series: Discord Challenges [9]
Category: Ant-Man (Comics), Ant-Man (Movies), Avengers (Comics), Doctor Strange (2016), Doctor Strange (Comics), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Post-Snap reversal, Titan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-12-18 14:10:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18251441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLadyStrange/pseuds/TheLadyStrange
Summary: Scott couldn’t sit still. His hands tapped and rapped upon the armrests and his thighs. It was all he could reach being strapped into the chair as the ship shuddered trough jump after jump heading towards Titan.Ironstrange Discord Server Weekly Challenge - “Coming Home/Homeward”Bad Things Happen Bingo - Broken rib(s)Stephen Strange Bingo - I3 “Yes?”Mind the pairing.





	A World Away

       Scott couldn’t sit still. His hands tapped and rapped upon the armrests and his thighs. It was all he could reach being strapped into the chair as the ship shuddered trough jump after jump heading towards Titan. Beside him, Tony Stark was in much the same state, but it hardly registered as his mind conjured reason after reason that Stephen might not be on Titan or have not come back or died of injuries. They had all heard of the great fight those on Titan had put up against Thanos but to Scott it felt as though what injuries might have been earned were brushed off. Tony said Stephen had been choked! What if he stopped breathing before they arrived! The ship stuttered and sent all within rocking forward against their straps.

       “Are we there?” Scott didn’t have any emotion left beyond worry, unable to feel the slightest embarrassment for the high break in his voice at the question.

“Naw, but that was the last jump. We have to fly from here.” Rocket’s voice was steady, but Groot patted him on the shoulder and they could all hear the strain as he sighed in return. “Its barely an hour to go.” One ear flicked as he looked back over his shoulder at his different companions. “You can get up and walk around for a bit, this thing lands smoothly.”

       Scott barely waited for the end of the sentence, ripping the straps from their moors and flinging himself back and then down into the belly of the Benatar. He braced his hands against the large table he found and just breathed, his eyes clenched such against the fears bombarding him. Behind him, footsteps thunked down the metal ladder and came up behind him, a heavy hand landing on his shoulder.

       “Scott?” He turned his head enough to see that it was Tony behind him before setting his gaze upon the strange tabletop. He followed the unusual circuitry with his eyes as the man of iron began to speak. “So, I know we didn’t talk much during the… the time between, but what is up with you? Why are you so nervous? And come to think of it, why on earth did you volunteer yourself for the trip to titan? You don’t know anyone th..”

       Tony fell silent as Scott whipped around suddenly to stand tall, shaking with emotion that couldn’t be named.

“My husband is on Titan. That’s right _husband._ He crumbled to death far from home and utterly alone except for you! You spoke so much about the great fight against Thanos and the strikes you dealt to him.” Scott’s throat ached with every word as his chest heaved and his frame leaned forward to accent every syllable. “You told us how Thanos threw Peter at Stephen, choked Stephen, forced him out of the sky, threw him down, but not once. Not once, did you mention checking if he was alright when Thanos left. I’ve looked at the footage. Thanos was on earth for seven minutes, more than enough time to check on Stephen, to know if...if he would even be alive after his plan worked.”

       Scott’s words ran out, tears that he had refused to shed during the between welling in his eyes and mirrored in Tony’s. With a sob, Scott stopped fighting, his knees slamming down upon the steel floor as he crumpled under his emotions finally given release. He hardly felt Tony kneeling beside him, a heavy arm going round his shoulders and a litany of apologies floating by his ears.

       “You’re right, I didn’t see if he was okay, he was in pain but I didn’t do anything but stare in anger. I didn’t even check on Peter, my boy, my son. I held him in my arms but never checked.” Tony’s voice trailed off into his own sobs and the pair wept until the rock of the ship entering an atmosphere sent them sprawling on the floor. They took the chance for what it was and composed themselves, each leaning back against a side of the odd table and wiping their faces. When the intercom told them of impending landing  they squared their shoulders and held tight until the ship was still.

       Together they headed to the airlock and stepped out. Scott couldn’t see anyone. The spot where they had landed was surrounded by downed ships and crumbling architecture. Everywhere he looked there was nothing but orange dust and rock, and he found himself almost panting in his distress.

       “This way, people. I’ll show you the last place we were.” Tony donned his suit enough to rise above the dust and off into the distance. He and the remaining guardians set off after him at a run, wanting nothing more than to have their families back and whole. They caught up to Tony when he landed on an open stretch of land.

       An empty stretch of land.

       “They were here, right here.” Scott watched Tony kneel to run a hand over a jut of stone from the dirt. “Peter was here. He disappeared right here. They have to be back.”

“LEVI!” Scott’s shout shocked all of them, Tony’s gauntlet suddenly no longer gouging the planet in his distress. “LEVI!”

       Scott ignored the blank stares and shared glances of _what the?_ Instead he focused on the answer to his call, the streak of red through the air to wrap about his chest in a hug. Scott choked out a happy acknowledgement to the fabric, torn fabric he found as he ran a hand over it, and hugged it back.

       “Where is Stephen?” The un-torn collar of the Cloak pointed the way and Scott led the small group into the shadow of a dead ship where his husband lay still against a metal bulkhead. Behind him Tony shouted and ran to a curled up figure, shaking it and sobbing with joy at the soft _Mr. Stark_ and the guardians reuniting loudly. Scott had eyes only for his husband, kneeling beside the figure and feeling yet more tears course down his cheeks at the soft rise and fall of that chest he so loved laying against.  “Stephen?”

       The doctor’s long limbs stretched slowly as his head lolled against the metal before getting the strength to look up at Scott.

“Yes?” The grey eyes of his husband were dark with pain and didn’t seem to realize who was there. The sight had Scott swallowing back sobs as he spoke softly in answer.

       “Stephen, it's time to go home.”

“Home.” The longing in that single word had Scott sobbing at last and gingerly checking for the injury he could see in Stephen’s eyes. It seemed like broken ribs were the worst, a weak cry of pain emerging at his careful probing. The pale throat was discolored but his breath not wheezing through damage.

       It was a simple thing for Scott to tap his suit and get just big enough to lift Stephen from the dust and cradle him close to his heart. The movement in fact seemed to rouse Stephen and grey eyes connected with his own brown to fill with tears in recognition.

“Scottie?”

       “We’re going home Stephen.”

“Wong?”

       “Wong and Cassie are waiting for us back on Earth. We’ve really missed you Stephen. You better rest, your going to get smothered in love when we get home.” Stephen smiled weakly up at him and did as he was told, laying his head against the enlarged shoulder and relaxing into Scott’s arms.

       When Scott returned to the Benatar he lay Stephen down upon the first bed he found and went for his duffel. Wong had given it to him on his way out of the Sanctum and now he opened it to find bottled water, simple foods, a blanket, a medical kit, and Cassie’s Hideous Rabbit. Scott arranged everything he needed and set to work, easing Stephen out of dirty and torn robes to run a damp cloth over his skin. Here and there he found a scratch or cut and the medical kit was put to use, but overall Stephen had gone through the battle with few injuries. When all was cared for he lifted one limp arm enough to tuck the Hideous Rabbit under it and brushed a few errant strands of hair from Stephen’s face.

       He felt the ship lurch in takeoff as he looked at the water and tried to decide if he should wake Stephen or not and took the choice from him. Stephen started on the cot and Scott was quick to ease the fear from his face with soft words and offered him some water. It was taken with quiet gratitude and Scott could not help but twirl his fingers through the short hair at the back of Stephen’s neck as he supported his husband’s head.

       The remainder of the trip was taken up with strapping Stephen down for the jumps and watching him carefully in fear of a turn for the worst. But Stephen made it through in a fitful rest of exhaustion, so great it overcame the shudders of the ship around him, and the knowledge that he was safe again.

       After landing on Earth, Scott lifted Stephen once again, striding down the landing ramp and straight towards the rest of his family waiting there. Stephen was still sleeping, the tattered Cloak weakly wound about his broken ribs and they could not help but touch. Cassie reaching up to hold tight to his arm and Wong running the back of his hand against Stephen’s pale cheek. The soft touches eased him from sleep with a slow breath of his other husband’s name and he turned to look down at the daughter he had so feared for while he was gone

       Stephen was home.

       They were all home.

       They were all together.

       And nothing would ever keep them apart.


End file.
